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Chapter Nineteen: An Unhappy Homecoming

A/N: Time for update! Yay! Enjoy, and don't hurt me...

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." -Robert Frost

Jayden checked his watch. "Antonio should be him in a few hours," he said.

"And here I was just starting to get used to the quiet," Tiara remarked.

"Don't get to used to it," Ji advised her. "Jayden, have you seen Lauren this afternoon?"

"No," Jayden lied, looking away. He couldn't lie to Ji while looking at him. Unfortunately for him, Ji knew that.

"When did you last see her?"

"Um...I don't really remember..."

"Jayden, I know when you're lying. Where's Lauren?"

"Have you checked her room?"

"Yes, and she's not there."

"What about Antonio's room?"

"They do seem to their rooms are interchangeable," Tiara noted.

"She's not there ether," Ji said. "Jayden, do you know what's going on?"

"No."

"Then look at me instead of the floor and say that."

Jayden looked up at Ji's stern face, then looked back down. He glanced up really quickly and mumbled, "Idon'tknowwhat'sgoingon."

Ji sighed and shook his head. He put his hand on Jayden's head. "You need to get better at lying."

"I can lie...just not to you."

"And I appreciate that. But I need to know where your sister is."

"And I really don't know."

"Well, when she turns up, remind her we need to go over some stuff."

"Ok."

Tiara waited until Ji left to laugh. "You are one of the most awkward people I've ever met. And I've lived in like five different countries."

"Lauren is almost as awkward as me."

"But you're worse. The two of you together almost make a whole person with real social skills."

"Great. Thanks," Jayden smiled at her. But he knew it was true. Tiara's social skills were well above his and Lauren's. She never showed any interest in doing anything like running the Shiba Clan or doing what her father did, but Jayden knew she would do well. I think I'm still getting used to the ins and outs of having a younger sister.

-Samurai Ranger Life-

Antonio was grinning as he practically ran to the door of the Shiba House. He'd opted to meet everyone here, since he'd landed at the airport around eleven pm. He opened the door and saw Lauren sitting in the living room. He smiled as he approached her. "Ahola."

"Hi," she said getting up. Antonio leaned in to kiss her but Lauren pulled away.

"Sorry, I know I smell like airplane. But wait until I tell you about my trip. I got the most incredible-"

"We need to talk," Lauren said suddenly.

Antonio blinked, then nodded a little. "Ok. About what?"

"Us."

"Us?" Antonio asked, starting to get afraid.

"I'm breaking up with you."

"What?!"

"Don't yell. Tiara, Jayden, and Ji are probably asleep."

"Get back to the...the other thing."

"I'm breaking up with you. We're done."

"But...but..." Antonio rubbed his hair as he struggled to find words. "If it's anything I've done, then tell me. Whatever it is, or was, I'm sorry. Please Lauren...mend it, don't end it."

"There's nothing to mend."

"Mí amor-" Antonio began, stepping towards her.

"And stop calling me that!" Lauren snapped, pushing him away. "I'm not your amor. I'm not your anything! Don't you understand?! I don't love you! I never have!"

"No!" Antonio begged. "No Lauren don't say that!"

"It's true. We can't take this connection and call it love. We can't talk about feelings that aren't really there."

"My feelings are really there! Tell me what I have to do to fix this and I will! Anything!"

"There's nothing! Don't you understand that?! We're not a couple anymore. It would never have worked out between us anyways."

"You don't know that!"

"I do! I'm the head of the Shiba Clan and you're a fisherman! It could never have worked between us!" Antonio flinched backwards like she'd just slapped him. "It's over."

Antonio shook his head. He wanted to say something...anything... But he couldn't think of anything. Here was the girl he loved more than anything in the whole world, telling him she didn't love him. He refused to believe it. "Lauren...please..."

"No! Stop trying to stop this! You need to be realistic with your life. We both need to be."

Antonio couldn't stand to hear anymore. He turned and ran form the Shiba Hosue. His bag he'd taken on his trip was still slung over his shoulder. He ran through the yard and out the gate, towards the dark city.

-Samurai Ranger Life-

Jayden was asleep when he heard someone yell. He got up and walked into the hall. He found Ji already there, looking worried. They followed the shouting to the living room. Tiara ran in front of them and shook her head. She pushed them back down the hall and pulled them into the room that used to be Kevin's. She shut the door. "You do not want to get in the middle of that."

"What exactly is going on?" Jayden asked. "Antonio just got home. What could they possibly be fighting about?"

"Young love," Ji sighed. Sitting on the barren mattress. "How complicated it can be."

Tiara put her ear to the door. She listened intently. "Now there's more shouting."

"Can you hear what they're saying?" Jayden asked a little sleepily.

"Yes Jayden, with my bionic hearing."

"Well there's no need to be snippy about it."

"Shhh! Uh oh."

"What?!"

"The shouting stopped."

"So?" Jayden demanded. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Tiara looked at him and shook her head. "No, it's not. Take it from someone who has heard a lot of disputes in her day. I know that silence and I know that shouting." She leaned back against the door with her arms crossed. "That's what my parents sounded like when they got divorced. And the silence...it's a heavy one. One that's so much louder than the shouting. Like its heavy with the unsaid words and frustrated minds. It's not a good silence."

Jayden frowned as he watched her. It occurred to him that Tiara acted carefree and happy so much, that it was easy to forget she'd once been abandoned by someone she'd loved. Tiara opened the door and peeked out. "Well?"

She shook her head. She left the room and Jayden and Ji followed. They came to the door of the living room in time to see the front door slam shut. Jayden looked at Lauren who remained frozen in place. After a couple of minutes she turned and walked towards her room. The three of them stepped aside as she passed. Jayden stopped her; grabbing her arm gently. She looked at him and saw the question written on his face. She merely shook here head. "He's gone," she whispered. "He's gone now and that's the way it has to be."

Jayden let go and Lauren continued her walk down the hall. Ji looked at Jayden and Tiara sadly. Tiara looked back with equal dismay. "I told that wasn't a good silence."

-Samurai Ranger Life-

Antonio ran through the streets of Panorama City without any destination in mind. He just wanted to run away from everything and everyone. He turned down a random alley tripped over a pile of boxes. He fell on the ground and scraped his hands and hit his head. He got up and leaned against the wall. He felt an ache in his chest that he hadn't noticed before. He put his hand there idly. How could his chest hurt this much?

He heard a noise off to the side, but didn't bother to look. He fell on the ground in shock. The footsteps got close, but he didn't care. If someone mugged him, they'd figure out he didn't have anything worth stealing. I've got nothing. I am nothing. He stared at the wall across the small alley. The footsteps got faster and someone knelt down beside him. "Antonio! Are you ok?!" Antonio looked up and saw Kevin staring down at him worriedly. "What happened? Did some on attack you?"

Antonio shook his head as Kevin helped him sit up. His friend looked him over again, then looked around. "Come on," Kevin said, putting an arm under Antonio's arm pits. He helped the former gold ranger to his feet and helped him walk. "I should probably take you back to the Shiba House, but it's almost midnight. We can just go back to my place. It's closer anyways." Antonio simply leaned on him as they walked.

He was in an absolute state of shock. He could barely see and hear the things around him. Kevin was probably talking, but Antonio couldn't understand him. He just kept hearing Lauren's words replaying in his head. "I don't love you! I never have!" He felt like ice was spreading through his chest. It was cold and suffocating, making him shiver and struggle to breathe. Kevin gave him another worried look. "It's ok," he told his friend. "We're almost there. Just keep walking."

Antonio simply let his head fall on Kevin's shoulder. He felt his stomach drop as the argument kept replaying in his head. "I'm the head of the Shiba Clan and you're a fisherman! It could never have worked between us!" Antonio shivered again, even though it wasn't cold. Kevin felt the shiver and sighed. "He's probably going into shock," he whispered. They made it to the building and Kevin somehow managed to get the door open. He led Antonio into his building and to the elevator. He looked at his friend again, wondering what could've happened.

He must've been mugged or something, Kevin thought. I'd like to meet the guy who can sneak up on a samurai. On the other hand, maybe it's best I don't. They finally made it into his apartment, after Kevin struggled to get his keys out with Antonio still leaning on him, and Kevin sat Antonio down on his couch. He turned the lights on and grabbed his fist aid kit. He knelt down in front of Antonio and examined him. He had a bump on his forehead and a bruise on the side of his face, but didn't look too bad.

Kevin looked at his hands and saw they were all scratched up. He started to clean them gently. "What happened?" he asked. "Did someone attack you?" Antonio shook his head numbly. "Well what happened?" Antonio didn't answer. Kevin sighed. "Come on, Antonio, you have to tell me. Please? I never seen you this quiet, it's scaring me."

Antonio looked down as felt his heart breaking as he whispered, "Lauren broke up with me."

"What?" Kevin asked in shock. "Are you sure?"

Antonio nodded. He fell forward a little onto Kevin's shoulder and started to cry. "She broke up with me."

Kevin hugged Antonio carefully. He couldn't think of anything to say as his friend cried. He wanted to say it would be ok, but it felt like a lie. Lauren and Antonio, last he'd checked, were in love. The two of them were like something out of a Disney movie. So what had happened? He knew Antonio had been away for almost a week, and gotten back just tonight. What could've happened in that time to end them? What had changed? He almost felt this own heart breaking just listening to Antonio cry.

Antonio was always so happy, but right now he cried like the entire world was ending. They had actually seen the world ending, which made it even worse. Kevin started feel angry at Lauren. Why did she break up with him? What could he have done? It felt like a crime to make Antonio this sad. Kevin kept hugging Antonio and rubbing his back gently. Eventually though, he decided the two of them should get to bed. He leaned Antonio back onto the couch. "I'll be right back," he promised. He went to his room and grabbed an extra pillow and blanket off his bed.

He went back to his living room and put them down on the couch. "Come on, lay down," he told Antonio gently. His friend merely nodded and laid down without much complaint. He thought that he would never be able to sleep with so much pain going on inside of him, but he was out like a light within a minute. Kevin smiled and took Antonio's shoes off, setting them aside. He threw the blanket over him gently and nodded. It would do for tonight. He was about to go to bed himself, when he tuned a small lamp on in case Antonio woke up. Then he went to his own room and threw himself down on his bed.

He pulled his samuraizer out and called Jayden. "Hey, it's Kevin."

"Kevin? What's wrong-"

"I'm not sure to be honest. I just found Antonio in an alley. He's ok now, some scrapes and bruises, but that's it. I just thought I should call you and tell you he's safe."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"What happened, by the way. He said that Lauren broke up with him, and seemed pretty beat up about it."

Jayden sighed. "I wish I knew."

Kevin yawned. "Well, I'll tell you if anything drastic happens."

"Ok. Can you just...keep an eye on him please?"

"Of course I will. Night."

"Night."

Why is life so bitterly complicated? Kevin wondered as he got out of his clothes. He managed to keep his eyes open long enough to shut his lamp off. But as he slept, he still had no idea just how complicated his life was going to get.